Clam-shell bucket.



PATENTED NOV. 13 1906.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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THE name's FEYEFS co, WASHINGTON u. c.

No. 835,567. PATENTED NOV. 13, 1906.

W. SKINKLE. GLAM SHELL BUCKET.

APPLICATION FILED MAB-19,1906.

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THE "cums PETERS co., \vasmucrou, :4 c.

W. B. SKINKLE.

PATENTED NOV. 13, 1906.

GLAM SHELL BUCKET.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 19,1906.

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Unrrnn STATES PATENT oFFIoa WVILLIAM B. SKIN KLE, OF S'IEUBENVILLE,OHIO.

CL'AM-SH ELL BUCKET.

Application filed March 19, 1

Toall whom. it may concern: I

Be it known that I, W'ILLIAM BALDWIN SKINKLE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Steubenville, J eiferson county, Ohio, have inventedcertain new and useful Im provements in Clam-Shell Buckets, of which thefollowing is a specification, that will enable those skilled in the artto which the invention pertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My invention relates to that class of device commonly known asclam-shell buckets or "grab-buckets, adapted to drop and scoop or diginto masses of materialsuch as coal, ore, earth, &c.and to detach andremove large bodies of such material from the original masses; and thisdescription and the accompanying drawings show the at present preferredform of embodying the principles of my invention in a working devicethat will be cheap to make, easy to repair, and economical to operate.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a clam-shell or grabbucket embodying the principles of my invention, the scoop members beingshown by full lines in their open position and the connected parts incorresponding positions, while by dotted lines the scoop members andtheir connected parts are shown in their closed positions. Fig. 2represents a vertical longitudinal section of the same, taken on thelines 2 2 of Figs. 3, 4, and 5, the scoops being closed. Fig. 3represents a vertical transverse section on the line 3 3 of 2. Fig. 4 isa general plan or top view, and Fig. 5 a horizontal section on the lines5 5 of Figs. 2 and 3.

In a general way my device consists of a pair of swinging buckets orscoops A and A, suspended from a frame or head B by links O O and D D,and the whole is suspended from suitable overhead supports by flexiblechains, cables, or ropes E E and F F.

For the purpose of closing the buckets with f power and lifting theentire load I prefer to use chains E E, while for the purpose of openingthe buckets and lowering the device I prefer to use lighter ropes orcables F F, as will hereinafter be explained.

The scoops A A are preferably made from single steel sheets bent to theshape shown, and they are provided with round cross-bars Specificationof Letters Patent.

. on the shafts a of the scoops.

Patented Nov. 13, 1906. 906. Serial No. 306,774-

or shafts a a, mounted at their ends in blocks a and a which reinforcethe shell of the buckets at the bearing-points of the shafts.

The head or frame B is preferably made with a top plate I) and sideplates 6, suitably joined at their meeting edges, the top plate having asquare central aperture 1) for the passage of the lifting-chains. Theside plates are reinforced by flat bars 6 which form bearings for roundbars or shafts G and D which extend across within the frame.

At each side of the frame are secured platelugs 6 which form bearingsfor the ends of round bars or shafts G which extend across the frameabove its top.

Mounted on the top of the frame near each of its corners are brackets H,which carry guide-sheaves h, and near each side at the center of theframe aresecured other double brackets H, carrying guide-rollers it.There is also on top of the frame at its center a double bracket I,which supports chainsheaves i i in proper relation to the chainaperture6 and it also carries a pair of idle chain-sheaves i and "L which opposethe sheaves 'i and i, respectively.

The abutting ends of the scoops are supported from the frame by thelinks O and O, which are pivoted at their upper ends on the shafts C ofthe frame and at their lower ends The lower ends of the links areprovided with outside forks c, which are riveted to the main bodies ofthe links and straddling the upper edges of the scoop give them doublehearings on the shafts a.

The outer ends of the scoops are from the frame by links D D, pivoted attheir upper ends on the shafts 2 of the frame and at their lower ends onthe shafts a of the scoops.

The relative location of the shaft-axes O and D on the frame and of theshaft-axes a and a in the scoops, together with the lengths of the linksO and D, are calculated to impart to the scoops the most desirable pathof movement to perform their functions.

To open the scoops when they are being lowered, four cables or ropes F Fand F are employed, one at each side of each scoop. The lower ends ofthese cables are secured to the scoop-shafts a, from whence they pass tothe guide-sheaves h at the outer corners of supported the frame andthence to the guide-sheaves h of the double brackets at the center ofthe frame. It will be observed that when the chains are slackened andthe entire weight of the device is thrown upon these cables F and F theypull the scoops apart to the positions shown in Fig. 1.

In order to close the scoops and bring them together with a powerfulbite without the use of special levers, gears, differential pulleys, orother such forms of power mechanism, I arrange and utilize thelifting-chains themselves to perform this function by passing themaround series of sheaves on the shafts a of the scoops and on the shaftsG of the frames after the manner of the wellknown block and tackle.

The lower end of each chain E is secured by a link 6 to the shaft G ofthe frame, from whence it passes around a series of chainsheaves e onthe shaft a of the scoop and a series of chain-sheaves e on the shaft Gof the frame alternately, and thence from the last of the sheaves e toguide-sheavest' on the top of the frame, and thence to the windingdrumor power mechanism. (Not shown in the drawings, but well understood inthe art.) Thus by the addition of a few rotatable chainsheavesindependently mounted on the crossshafts a and G and the employment ofthe lifting chains or cables directly upon these sheaves I am enabled todispense with special forms of power mechanisms and with myblock-and-tackle arrangement to produce a powerful closure of thescoops.

The simplicity of this device, the cheapness of its construction, andthe readiness with which it may be repaired are the special features ofcommercial value claimed for it.

In practical construction as now designed for large and heavy work thesescoops are each about six feet wide and five and onehalf feet long, or,say, eleven feet long over both scoops when closed, as shown in Fig. 2.The other parts are proportionately large, the head or frame being tenfeet long by five feet wide and five feet deep. Such a clamshell bucketis capable of taking up many tons of earth, ore, coal, or other suchmaterial at each operation.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employedinstead of the one explained herein and illustrated by the drawings,which is the preferred form at this time, such changes being made asregards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by anyone of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means beemployed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a clam-shell bucket, the combination of a frame, a pair of scoopmembers link-supported beneath the frame and adapted to oscillatethrough suitable arcs, shafts on the frame carrying a series of sheavesand shafts in each scoop member also provided with a series of sheavesopposed to those on the frame-shafts, with a pair of lifting-chains eachsecured at its lower end and passing alternately around the sheaves ofits opposed series and thence to a guide-sheave on top of the frame,whereby draft on the chains will first close the scoop members withgreat power and then lift the entire apparatus, substantially as setforth.

2. In a clam-shell bucket, the combination of a frame, a pair of scoopmembers link-supported beneath the frame and adapted to oscillatethrough suitable arcs, shafts on the frame and a shaft in each scoopmember provided with opposing sheaves, a pair of liftingchains eachsecured at its lower end and passing alternately around the sheaves ofits opposed series on the frame and scoop-shafts and thus adapted toclose the scoops with great power, with scoop-opening cables at tachedto the scoop members and passing thence to guide-sheaves on the outercorners of the frame and thence to guide-sheaves at the center of theframe, substantially as set forth.

3. In a clam-shell bucket, the combination of a frame, a pair of scoopmembers adapted to swing in arcs below the frame and each suspended fromthe frame by a pair of side links pivoted on a cross-shaft located atthe inner end of the scoop near its top edge and on a shaft located onthe top of the frame approximate the center thereof, and by another pairof side links pivoted on a crossshaft located at the outer end of thescoop at its top edge and on a shaft located on the frame near its outerend and near the top, a series of guide-sheaves on said outerscoopshaft; shafts located near the lower edge of the frame and providedwith sheaves opposed to those on the outer scoop-shafts, with a pair oflifting-chains secured at their lower ends and each passing alternatelyaround its opposed series of sheaves and thence to a guide-sheave on thetop of the frame, substantially as set forth.

4. In a clam-shell bucket, the combination of a frame, a pair of scoopmembers adapted to swing in arcs below the frame and each suspended fromthe frame by a pair of side links pivoted on the frame and on acrossshaft located at the inner end of the scoop near its top edge, andby another pair of side links pivoted on the frame and on a crossshaftlocated at the outer end of the scoop at its top edge, a series ofguide-sheaves on said outer scoopshaft; shafts mounted in the frame nearits lower edge and provided with sheaves opposed to those on the outerscoopshafts, with a pair of lifting and closing chains secured at theirlower ends and passing alternately around its opposed series of sheavesand thence to guide-sheaves on the I name to this specification in thepresence of top 01fl the figme, and scoop-opening cables two subscribingWitnesses.

attac ed to t e scoe s and passing thence to guidesheaves 0n the outerends of the frame WILLIAM and thence to guide-sheaves near the centerWitnesses:

of the frame, substantially as set forth. EDWARD NICHOLSON,

In testimony-whereof I have signed my Mrs. M. TRAINER.

